What Is Art Clay Silver?

Silver Clay brings a modern day alchemy to the world of art and jewellery making, transforming a piece of clay into silver, gold, copper or bronze.This relativley recent invention from Japan has gained acclaim from crafters worldwide, as you can mould, sculpt or model it yourself without the need of expensive tools, and fire your precious metal without the need of a kiln, - just use your home gas hob or a blow torch.

Jewellery making with hallmarkable precious metals is now accessible to all - from the beginner with little or no experience to the professional jeweller using more advanced techniques. Discover the versatility of this magical substance for yourself on one of my many workshops on offer. About the ClayWhen Art Clay Silver is taken out of the packet, it is a slightly moist lump of clay. The clay is composed of 1-20 micron sized silver particles, organic binders and water. The clay is then molded into its desired shape, and dried. Once the clay is completely dry it can then be filed, carved, and sanded; after which it is fired with a gas hob, butane torch, or kiln.The ProcessDuring the firing process, the organic binders burn away and the resulting silver particles "sinter", becoming denser and stronger. The burning away of binders and sintering of metal causes the piece to shrink 8-10% in overall size while retaining the original form. Once completely fired, the remaining piece is composed of 99.9% pure silver.Examples of the different firing methods: